SRI LANKA-POLITICS/ELECTION PREPARATIONS Sri Lanka makes final checks ahead of presidential election

Record ID: 450947

  • Title: SRI LANKA-POLITICS/ELECTION PREPARATIONS Sri Lanka makes final checks ahead of presidential election
  • Date: 7th January 2015
  • Summary: COLOMBO, SRI LANKA (JANUARY 7, 2015) (REUTERS) **** WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY **** ELECTION OFFICIALS CARRYING BALLOT BOXES ARMED POLICE WALKING PAST VARIOUS OF ARMED POLICE WALKING MAN CARRYING BALLOT BOXES BALLOT BOX RIFLE PEOPLE CARRYING BALLOT BOXES ONTO BUS BUS LEAVING VARIOUS OF POLICE GUARDING ELECTION OFFICE VARIOUS OF ARMED POLICE STANDING BY BUS DOOR BEING UNLOCKED SO THAT OPPOSITION PARLIAMENTARIANS CAN INSPECT OFFICES FOR UNAUTHORIZED BALLOT BOXES POLICE OFFICER WALKING INTO OFFICE PEOPLE WALKING IN ANOTHER OFFICE DOOR BEING OPENED FOR CHECKS (SOUNDBITE) (English) OPPOSITION PARLIAMENTARIAN ARJUNA RANATUNGA SAYING: "We got some very reliable information that some of the ballot boxes have been filled at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall. So we were supposed to come and just inspect and we went through that. I don't know if something has happened yesterday but anyway, we are going through the entire process. We are getting a lot of information from different parts of the country regarding rigging of this election. We won't allow that to happen. We will give our 100 percent and try and change this entire regime" VARIOUS OF OPPOSITION PARLIAMENTARIANS WALKING PAST
  • Embargoed: 22nd January 2015 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Sri Lanka
  • Country: Sri Lanka
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA9I2EGOVVRUAUS89336F46LVS6
  • Story Text: Sri Lanka on Wednesday (January 7) made final checks ahead of the presidential election on January 8.
    Authorities said 200,000 government officials will staff polling stations and counting centres across the island and 65,000 police officers, including the elite special task force, has been deployed to provide security.
    Although election monitors have reported less incidents of violence than in earlier elections, the army has been placed on alert to provide support if needed.
    President Mahinda Rajapaksa, hoping to win a third six-year term, is running against his former health minister, Mithripala Sirisena.
    Opposition parliamentarians said they had heard rumours that the government would try to rig the election with boxes of unauthorised ballots placed in Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall.
    They were brought to the offices to check but found nothing.
    "We got some very reliable information that some of the ballot boxes have been filled at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall. So we were supposed to come and just inspect and we went through that. I don't know if something has happened yesterday but anyway, we are going through the entire process. We are getting a lot of information from different parts of the country regarding rigging of this election. We won't allow that to happen. We will give our 100 percent and try and change this entire regime," opposition member of parliament Arjuna Ranatunga said.
    Voting will take place on Thursday (January 8) and the final result is expected by Friday (January 9) afternoon.
    There is no credible and unbiased opinion poll on the election outcome.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register